Photographic shutter.



Patented Oct. 7, I902.

S. SEBBA &. A. COHEN.

PHOTUGRAPHIC SHUTTER,

{Application filed Jan. 7, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet L {No Model.)

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N0. 7|0,7l7. Patented Oct. 7, I902.

S. SEBBA G. A. COHEN.

PHOTOGRAPHIG SHUTTER.

(Lpplicstion filed Jan. 7, 1902.]

(No Iodel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON SEBBA AND ALCHANAN COHEN, OF CAPETOWN, CAPE COLONY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTER.

SPECIFICATION fanningpart of Letters Patent No. 710,717, dated October'7, 1902.

Application filed January '7, 1902. Serial No. 88,816. (No modeLl Toroll, whom 711; 711 61, concern:

Be it known that we, SOLOMON SEBBA and ALCHANAN COHEN, subjects of theKing of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 37 Sir Lowry road,Capetown, Cape Colony, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Photographic Shutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pivoted shutters for photographic cameras, aswell as to operating mechanism therefor; and it consists, substantially,in the improvements hereinafter more particularly described.

The invention has for its object to provide an effective form of shutterfor photographic cameras and also to provide means whereby the elementsor members thereof may be positively operated for obtaining eitherinstantaneous or time exposures of the photographic plates.

A further object is to simplify the construction and organization of theoperative mechanism for the shutter and also to provide a mechanism ofthis character which is reliable in action and which also is easilycontrolled by the operator at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide means, such as asoundemitting effigy or device, for attracting and. holding theattention of persons or subjects while in position before the camera tobe photographed, so that there is less liability to movement of theperson or subject during the time of exposure of the photographic plate.

The invention also has additional objects in view, substantially as willmore fully hereinafter appear when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a front elevation of ourimproved shutter for photographic cameras, the upper part of the frontof the casing being re moved and the lower part of said casing beingpartly broken away at the front and partly in section to more clearlydisclose the interior mechanism, the operative devices or mechanism forthe elements or members of the shutter itself beingshown as mounted ororganized at the upper part of said casing. Fig. 2 is a side view ofFig. 1 looking toward the right of the latter. Fig. 3 is a rear view tomore clearlyindieate the construction and organization of the elementsor parts constituting the clamping device for the casing or hood of alens (not shown) to which said device may be applied. Fig. 4 is a topplan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation in detail ofthe construction and organization of elements shown in Fig. 1, the samebeing broken away at the lower part thereof and the front of the box orcase being removed to disclose the operative mechanism for theshutterelements or plates. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical transversesectional elevation taken on the vertical central broken line in Fig. 5and looking in the direction of the arrow above the said latter figure.Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view, on a reduced scale, illustrating moreclearly the mode of operation of the several disks through the medium ofwhich the elements or members constituting the pivoted shutter areoperated. Fig. 8 is also a diagrammatic view in plan, indicating themode of operation of the devices or means by which the sound-emittingdevice or efligy is brought into view at the proper time.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description it may be stated thatour improved shutter for photographic cameras comprises, substantially,two concentric disks or plates normally disposed one behind the other asa closure for the lens-opening in the casing of the camera, saidelements or members being pivoted to swing outwardly one after the otherupon proper manipulation of the means by which the operative devicestherefor are actuated. The said shutter elements or members and themeans for operating the same are so constructed and organized that bothinstantaneous and time exposures may be derived therefrom by but slightchanges in the setting of certain parts of the mechanism, all as willmore fully hereinafter appear. The sound-emitting device is mounted inany suitable position upon the casing of our improved shutter operatingmechanism, and said device may consist of the effigy or image of a cat,dog, or other animal, which may be brought to view by the operator orphotographer, either before exposing the photographic plate orsimultaneously with such exposure, any suitable means being employed forproducing the emission of sound from the efiigy or image, the meansemployed in the present case being preferably contained with in thecasing and comprising a bellows and clockwork mechanism for operatingthe same.

Specific reference being had to the accompanying drawings by thedesignating characters marked thereon, 1 represents the back of asuitable box or case, and 2 the front part thereof, the ends of said boxor case being indicated at 3 and 4, respectively. The box or case isdivided internally by partitions 5 and 6. so as to constitute sidechambers, in one of which is located a gear-train or clockwork mechanism7 of ordinary embodiment, the said mechanism beingin connection with ahorizontally-mounted shaft 8, Fig. 1, by which to rotate said shaft, andthe shaft is formed with a crank at one end, movably connected with arod 9, which in turn is operatively connected with a bellows 10, locatedin the other or opposite side chamber of the box or case. Upon rotationof the shaft 8 in the manner shown and described the bellows 10 iscaused to emit a sound or sounds which in some instances may be made toclosely resemble the cry peculiar to the particular effigy'or imageemployed for attracting and holding the person or subject while beingphotographed, and in the present instance the effigy is in the form of acat suitably mounted in position to be brought to view when required.The sides of thebox or casemay be pivoted or hinged, so as to swingoutwardly at the bottom, as shown at the left hand ofFig. 1 in dottedlines, and the side portion adjacent to the connectingrod 9 is providedwith a stop near the point of connection of said rod with the bellows,also as shown in Fig. 1, which stop is for the purpose of engaging saidrod and preventing movement thereof until the same is released byswinging out the side portion in any suitable way, such as by means of ahandle 11, which may be taken hold of and pulled upon by the operator orattendant in charge. As shown in Fig. 6, a division-plate 12 is locatedwithin the box or case to the rear of or behind the front plate 2,leaving a space between in which to accommodate the elements or membersof the shutter proper, said elements being suspended to swing outwardlyand vertically within the said space. The said division-plate 12, asWell as the front and back plates, may each be provided with an opening(not shown) for passage of light to the lens, and located centrally ofthe said chambers of the box or case is a light-tight chamber, in thefront of which is the opening (dotted lines, Figs; 1 and 5) before whichthe shutter elements or members are normally located or positioned, itbeing respondingly curved at its lower end 16 to conform to the shape ofthe said lens casing or hood, (not shown,) the latter being received andheld between the said curved portions in a manner quite apparent. Thesaid vertical parallel arms 15 are connected at suitable points thereofby means of a plate 18, suitable fastening pins or screws 17 beingemployed, passing through the ends of said plate and through the armsand into the said back portion of the box or case, and anadjusting-screw passes through one of the arms, at the upper endthereof, with its end bear ing against the other arm, and by properlyturning said screw the lower curved portions 16 of the clamping devicemay be adjusted in any suitable manner with reference to the lens casingor hood.

The shutter proper comprises two substantially concentric plates 19 and20, the latter arranged immediately behind the former and each beingprovided with a lateral extension, which is hung to or suspended from atransverse spindle, the ends of which are journaled, respectively, inthe front and back portions of the box or case, said transverse spindlesin the present instance being indicated by the numerals 21 and 22. Saidplates are respectively provided on the inner surface of the lateralextensions thereof with projections 23 and 24 in line with and below thespindles 21 and 22, and springs 25 and 26 are fitted at their outer endsupon said projections, the inner ends of the said springs being slippedover or fitted upon a pin a, projecting from the inner face of the rearportion 2 of the box or case. These said springs 25 and 26 serve toinsure the return movement of the shutter plates or disks after theyhave been swung outwardly or actuated to enable an exposure of thelens-opening to be made. The spindles 21 and 22, respectively, areprovided at the rear ends thereof with disks 27 and 28, each providedwith a projection 29 'at a suitable point of the circumference thereofand each also being provided with a stud 30, said projections and studsoperating in the manner about to be described, so as to set or hold theshutter elements or plates during exposures of the photographic platesthrough the lens-opening in the box or case. Mounted slightly above thesaid spindles 21 and 22 is a third transverse spindle 31, upon which iscarried a drum 32, around which is Wound an operating-cord 33,preferably of gut or like material, and the inner end of which issecured to the said drum. The outer end of the said operating-cord iscarried to the outer side of the box or case and is the medium ofmanipulation through which the operating devices for the shutterelements or plates are actuated. The said cord 33 occupies one of thecircumferential divisions of the drum 32 formed by a centralcircumferential flange or collar 341, formed with said drum, and in theother circumferential division of the drum is contained a spring orsimilar elastic medium 35, which is coiled about the drum, the inner endof said spring or elastic medium being secured to the drum. Said mediumor spring 35 after leaving the drum around which it is wound or coiledis first carried to one side and passed around a transverse bar 36,extending between the back and front of the box or case. Thence it iscarried back or across the apparatus in reverse direction and the end orextremity thereof fastened or secured to a pin 37. (See Fig. 5.) Upontaking hold of the manipulating-cord and pulling upon the same the drum32 is turned or revolved in a right-hand direction, and said spring orelastic medium 35 is thereby tightened upon the drum and put undertension tending to carry the drum back to the position from whence itstarted. After being turned to a certain position by drawing upon thecord 33 the drum is held or retained in such position until released inthe manner to be described, whereupon it is caused to revolve in thereverse direction at a c0mpara tively rapid speed, and on such reverserotation thereof the outermost one of the shutter elements or plates isoperated or swung outwardly at one side, thus giving a short exposure tothe lens-opening, the innermost shutter element or plate having beenpreviously operated in like manner on the first movement or rotation ofthe drum. To enable these operations to be effected, thecentrally-located spindle 31 is provided at the rear end with a disk 38,to which is secured a normally vertical arm 39, preferably of thin sheetmetal and formed and provided with a turned-over end or detent t0, thesaid arm being capable of springing outwardly with reference to theouter face of said disk 38. To one side of the said arm 30 (to the rightin the drawings) the said disk 38 is formed with pins 47 and 48, andsecured to the top of one of the side chambers of the box or case, bymeans of screws or otherwise, is one end of a spring 41, which isslightly curved upwardly and extends all the way across the box or case,saidgspring being thus bent downwardly and provided at its free end witha disk 42, seated or resting upon the upper-surface of an inflatabledevice or bulb 43, located on top of the opposite side chamber of thesaid box or case, said inflatable device or bulb 43 having a tubularconnection at, (broken off in the drawings,) to the end of which asuitable hand-bulb (not shown) is attached, and which when squeezed orcompressed causes the said inflatable device or bulb 43 to expand orbecome inflated, which action raises the free end of the spring il inthe manner and for the purpose hereinafter more fully described. Thespring 41 is provided on opposite sides of the approximately centralportion thereof with upwardly and downwardly extending projeetions t5and at, set to one side of or out of alinement with each other, so as tobe within the paths of movement of the said pins 47 and 18 of disk 38,by which one or the other of said projections will be engaged by one orthe other of the said pins, accordingly as the shutter elements orplates are operated or swung outwardly for instantaneous or timeexposure of the lens-opening.

Another spring 49 is also secured at one end by suitable screws orotherwise to the top of the right-hand chamber or compartment of the boxor case, and this spring is so constructed and organized that its outerend 50 may be raised or lowered, and when lowered to lie in the path ofmovement described by the stud 30 of the right-hand disk 28 when saiddisk 38 is operated to he turned by engagement of the arm 39 with thebeveled projection 29 thereof. The free end of said spring 49 isoperated to be raised or lowered by means of a connection 53, fastenedthereto at one end, the upper end of said connection being also fastenedto a spring-governed arm 52, with which cooperates a rocking lever 51,and by turning said lever 51 in one direction or the other the end ofthe said spring-controlled arm is caused to be raised or loweredcorrespondingly, and thus the said spring at) will also be affected, asis clearly obvious. The said rocking lever 51 is attached to an armpivoted within the apparatus at the upper part and projecting above thesame to be conveniently taken hold of for the purpose of operating thesaid rocking lever 51, the move ment of said operating-arm being limitedby suitable stops arranged on either side thereof, as clearly shown inFig. 5. The said 1ever 51 is provided at its upper end with a curvedextension or hook 5i, whichin turnis connected with the lower end of aspring 56, secured to the inner face of the back part 1 of the box orcase of the apparatus by means of screws, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Thesaid spring 56 is formedatits upper part with a curved branch or memberextending over to be engaged by the detent 40 on arm 39 of the disk 38and serves as a stop for limiting the return movement of the said armafter it has been carried around to effect the operation of the shutterelements or plates. The parts being thus organized, by pulling upon thecord the drum is rotated and winds up a portion of the spring 35thereon, and during this movement of the drum the disk 38 of courseturns therewith and the arm 39 of said disk is carried around intocontact with the beveled projections 29 of the righthand disk :28, thuspushing said projection downwardly and rotating said disk 28, andthereby turning the spindle and raising or swinging the inside shuttermember or plate 20 outwardly, and said plate is held in its raisedposition as the result of the engagement of stud 30 upon disk 28 by atooth Z), projecting from the under side of the said spring li), suchengagement preventing the falling of the said shutter member or plateuntil released in the manner about to be described. The continuedmovement of the disk 38 in the same direction brings the said arm 39into contact with the projection 29 upon opposite disk 27; but as theedge of the said projection is beveled or inclined upwardly, as shown inFig. 5, the said arm obtains no purchase thereagainst, but slides overthe projection in a yieldable manner, the arm, as beforementioned,having the capacity to bend outwardly from its 'normalposition. Thus, it will be seen, that in this movement of the arm 39 theshutter member or plate 19 is not affected, but is leftin its normalposition for maintaining the lens-aperture closed. In the turning of thedisk 38 with the arm 39 the stud 47 on said disk engages the under sideof spring 41 and passes beneath the latter, whereupon said spring againdescends, and the lowermost projection 46 thereon engages the said stud47 in such manner as to hold the disk 38 from return movement and alsoagainst the action or tendency of the actuating-spring 35 on the drum32, the latter element of course constituting the intermediary throughwhich the movements of the said disk 38 and arm 39 are effected. Now bysqueezing or compressing the hand-bulb (not shown) the bulb 43 becomesfilled or inflated with air and is in consequence distended, and thisdistention thereof operates upon the disk 42, seated thereon,'in suchmanner as to elevate or raise the free end of spring 41 to a suflicientex tent to release engagement of the projection 46 and stud 4,7,whereupon the recoil or reactionary effect of *the spring 35 causes thesaid drum to turn in the reverse direction, which reverse movement ofthe drum is of course accompanied by a similar movement of the disk 38and arm 39. In this movement of the arm 39 the latteris brought intocontact with the edge of the projection 29 of disk 27 and carries thesame downwardly, the said disk 27 being thereby turned or rotated so asto swing the outermost member 19 of the shutter upwardly and outwardlyto momentarily expose the lens-opening, it beingin this way that the socalled instantaneous exposure of such opening is efiected by the meansherein illustrated and described. As soon as the arm 49 passes orreleases its engagement with the said projection 29 of the disk 27 thesaid outermost member or plate of the shutter immediately descends toits former or normal position, and on the continued return movement ofsaid arm 39 the detent 40 thereof is brought into contact with thespring 49 (which is now holding the member or plate 20 of the shutter inits raised position) and lifts said spring sufficiently to releaseengagement of tooth 1) thereof with the stud 30 on disk 28. As soon assuch release is effected the said innermost member or plate 20 of theshutter also falls or descends to its former or normal position behindthe member 19. To eifect or obtain a time exposure of the lens-opening,the lever 51 is turned or rocked in the left-hand direction, whereuponthe lower end of spring 56 (which up to this time has been drawnupwardly by said lever 51 and intermediate connections) assumes a lowerposition and at the same time in virtue of the arm 52 of the lever beingcarried in the left-hand direction the end of the said spring 49 is alsolowered. At this time the cord 33 is pulled upon in the same manner asbefore and identically the same operation of all the parts hereinbeforedescribed again takes place, and by distending the inflatable device 43the spring 41 is raised, as before, releasing the disk 38, which rotatesreversely, its arm 39 striking the projection 29 on the left-hand disk27; but inasmuch as the lower end of spring 56 now occupies a lowerposition than it did before a tooth 58 thereon is caused to engage thestud 30 of said disk 27, thus checking the return movement of thelatter, and consequently of the member 19 of the shutter. Also at thistime the stud 48 of disk 38 is e11- gaged by the upper projection 45 ofthe spring 41, and thus the return movement of the said disk and arm isarrested and the exposure of the lens-opening may be continued untilsuch time as the bulb 43 is deflated of its contained air. As soon assaid bulb 43 is deflated the free end of the spring 41 is caused todescend and the engagement between stud 48 and projection 45 is broken,and thus the disk 38 and its arm 39 are permitted to describe theirreturn movement through the reactionary force of the spring 35 on thedrum 32. At the completion of its return movement the arm is engaged bythe inwardly curved branch of spring 56 and is thus prevented from beingcarried over too far, said arm acting to move said spring sufiicientlyto release disk 27.

The effigy or image for attracting the attention of subjects or personsbeing photographed is located between upper extensions (such as 59, Fig.5) of the frame of the box or case of the apparatus, such efligy orimagein the present case being shown as that of a cat seated upon a platform60, to which is pivotally connected a rod 61, (see Fig. 8,) in turnmovably connected to a door 62. The platform 60 is supported by ahorizontal arm 63, pivotally supported at 64 and cranked at its end65,the end of the crank engaging with the fork or bifurcated ends 66 of aplate 67, attached to the inner side of one of the said extensions 59 ofthe frame of the box or case. By this means when the outwardly-swingingside of the case or box is turned outwardly to release the connectingrod 9' between the shaft 8 and bellows 10 the platform 60 is advancedand the door 62 opened simultaneously with the starting of the clockworkmechanism to operate said bellows.

It will be understood that we are not restricted in practice to theprecise details of construction and organization of the several elementscontributing to our present invention, since immaterial changes thereincould be resorted to and still be within the scope and spirit of theinvention.

' Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of oursaid invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, wedeclare that what we claim is 1. Inashutter for photographic cameras,the

combination of an outer casing having a lensaperture and constructedwith side chambers, a bellows in one of said chambers, and a geartrainin the other, intermediate connections from the gear-train for operatingthe bellows, a device for engaging said connections to check the motionthereof, an eifigy and means for bringing the same into view ondisengaging the checking device, a pair of verticallyswingingshutter-plates pivoted one behind the other and normally closing thelens-opening, springs for retaining said plates in position, movabledisks mounted upon the pivots for the said shutter-plates and eachprovided with a projection and a stud, a centrallymonnted movable diskand a spring-arm turning therewith, said arm moving in the path of saidprojection and being engaged thereby, a spring-actuated drum, and a cordfor operating said central disk and spring-arm, springs with teeth forchecking the movement of the shutterplates to give time exposures, and arocking lever for releasing the plates to give instantaneous exposures.

2. In a shutter for photographic cameras,the combination with a suitablecasing having a lens-opening, and means for attracting the attention ofa subject sitting before the camera, of two shutter-plates 19 and 20 andsupporting-spindles therefor, springs 25 and 26 normally retaining saidplates in closed position one behind the other to exclude light from thelens-opening, movable disks 27 and 2S mounted upon said spindles, andeach formed with a stud 80, and a projection 29, having inclined edge,the drum 32 having the spring wound thereon, the cord 33 for operatingsaid drum and placing its spring under tension, a centrally-moo ntedmovable disk 38, having studs 47, L8 and a spring-arm 39, movingtherewith, the latter having a detent 40 at the end thereof and movingin the path of said projections 29, springs 49 and 50, having teeth forengaging the said studs 30, whereby the movement of the shutter-platesis temporarily checked, the spring a1, having stops engaging the studson the central disk, a pneumatic bulb for actuating said spring, therocking lever 51, springs 4:9 and 56, and the intermediate connectionsbetween said springs and rocking lever for elfecting time andinstantaneous exposures.

3. In a shutter for photographic cameras the combination of theshutter-plates 19, 20 located one behind the other, with theiractuating-disks 27, 28 and the spring-actuated disk 38 spring-arm 39 anddetent $0 for effecting the movement of the said shutter-plates,substantially as described.

4. In a shutter forphotographic cameras,the combination of thespring-actuated shutterplates 19, 20 and spring-actuated disk andspring-arm 39 and detent 0 with the springs 41, $9, 56 and their stopsor teeth 58 and Z) for holding the shutter-plates for the time exposureand the means for adjusting the position of the said springs,substantially as herein described.

5. A shutter for a photographic apparatus, comprising an outer casinghaving side chambers, a sound-producing device in one of said chambers,an operating mechanism therefor in the other chamber and intermediateconnections between the two, means for checking the action of saidmechanism by engagement with said connections, and an eftigyoperated tobe brought into view before the easing on release of the means engagingsaid intermediate connections.

6. A shutter for a photographic appara tus, comprising two substantiallyconcentric plates pivoted to swing outwardly from each other to exposethe lens-opening, a central spring-actuated drum, disk, and arm, disksat opposite sides of said central disk each formed with a beveledprojection, and each also having a stud on its face, said central diskbeing provided with similar studs in duplicate, a spring havingprojections adapted to engage the studs of said central disk, aninflatable device cooperating with the free end of said spring, andmeans for engaging said outer disks in position to maintain the platesof the shutter in position to effect the desired exposure of thelens-opening.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twowitnesses.

SOLOMON SEBBA. ALOHANAN COHEN. Witnesses:

JOHN RICHARD BLACK, JAMES Bacon CLEGHORN.

